Improved steam gas-generator



UNITED STATES HIRAM s. MAXIM, oF Nnw vonk', N. Y.

IMPROVED STEAM 1GAS`- GENERATOR;

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 71,400, dated November 26, 11867. i i

To `all whom it may concern: t

Be it known that I, HIRAM S. MAXIM, of` the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Steam Gas-Genf erator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being `had to `the accompanying drawings, `forming part` of thisspecitication.

e This invention relates to a new and improved method of generating gas from volatile oils for illuminating purposes, superheating `the same, and regulating the flow of steam bythe` pressure of the gas; and the invention con'-` sists in generating and superheating the gas by a current of steam from a steam-boiler, and

in an arrangement of liexible diaphragms, which are expanded or operated upon by the pressure of the gas generated, whereby the ow of steam is regulated, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of y the apparatus, showing the `variousparts in their `proper positions, the section being through the line xx of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front or end elevation.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This apparatus is mainly composed of a gasgenerating cylinder, marked A, which is connected with a regulating-chamber, B, with regulating-diaphragms therein, a superheating-tube, C, a steam-pipe, D, and apipe, marked E, for the discharge of the water of condensation, together with a rod, F, and an arrangement for regulating the iiow of gas to the burner connected therewith. In this appa-l ratus gas is generated from gasoline, naphtha,

'l benzine, or other hydrocarbon liquids of a volatile nature, and the liquid is introduced into the generator A through the pipe Gr, (seen in Fig. 2,) which pipe is provided with a screwvalve at H, operated by the hand-wheel I, as

` seen in the drawing.

The steam from a steam-boiler is conveyed through the superheating-tube C by the steampipe D into a section of a tube seen at the end of the superheating-tube, marked J, which section contains a fine wire-gauze screen which surrounds a perforated section of a tube, J', at a. The steam passes from the tube through efectually stops theflow of `steam e into the perpetual screw o'n the shaft of the finger-wheel the small orifices or perforations in the tube v J', and through `the `ganze into the vertical i pipe K, downward `throughthe `valveL into theregulating'chamber Bfand pipewE. `This pipe E, as `will be seen, is surrounded by the fluid, which will be converted `linto vapor or gas with a rapidity proportioned to` the tem-1 perature of the pipe E. Thispipe, when sthe apparatus is in operation,` will contain1 stea or water of condensationfor. bothcemloine` at a temperature far abovefthe `boiling-puin of the volatile or gas-producing; liquid` in 1th generator; consequentlythe liquid; will `boil i; and gas will be evolved or i generated 'there-` from, which will ll thecylinderlA, andb` discharged, not only into the `superheating-l tube G, through the stand *m,gbut`in`, l\ tween the regulating-diaphragms N N' i chamber B, through 1the aperture 0.1 1"

P isla ilexibleidiaphragm, ,towwhich the valve d is attached. The valveld is `conical n form, with its seat at.. e, which, when closed,

generator. Whether the valve :is `closed. or open depends upon the` pressure of I the )gas between the regulating-diaphragms,1NN',"f as they are expanded or forced asunder by the pressure of the gas the diaphragm `N will be pressed against the diaphragmlwhich will force the valve to its seat or toward itsseat, thus cutting oif, or partially cutting Hoff, the current of steam. ltwill thus ,be seen that the generation of the gas is automaticallyco trolled by its own pressure. 1 l v After being discharged intoj the `tube C fthe gas occupies the annular spaceB`,lwl1er`e its temperature is increased to `any requiredsd grec by absorbing heat from the steam inrpipe D. The gas is conducted to the burner through the stand S. 2. l "l T is a valve-cock on the end of the rod which passes through the globe u onthe stand. The ow of gas to the burner `Vis regulated by this cock, which is connected with the Erod F by a square socket at w. f isla stand which supports the other end of the rodF g, is a worm-wheel on a sleeve, g', (through which the rod F` passes,) whichjwheel` engageswwitha h, as seen in the drawing. l j is afspiral spring on the rod F, which bears against the end of the sleeve g at one end and `@against thea justable collar k at the other end. It will be vseen that the tension of this spring keeps the valve-cock T constantly to its seat.

By the use of the worm-gear before mentioned the valve-cock is adjusted, and the flow of the gas to the burner is regulated with the greatest nicety.

The section of a tube, J, with the wire-gauze screen J is conned in a chamber at the end of the superheating-tube C by the screw-plug n, which allows the screen to be taken out and cleaned as often as may be necessary. The steam, in passing through this wire gauze screen, is cleansed from any dirt or foreign. substances which it may contain before it is discharged into the pipe K. The pipe K is in two parts, which are connected by a screwcoupling, p, as seen.

lr is a stuffing-box on the steam-pipe D.

In using this apparatus for generating gas for the head-light of a locomotive the steampipe is rigidly attached to the boiler by some proper steam-connection; but to properly adjust the burner or light to the reflector, and for facility in ignting the gas, the apparatus itself must not be rigidly iixed, but be arranged so that it may be drawn forward while the steam-pipe remains stationary. For this purpose there is a supplementary or guiding tube iixed in the .superheating-tube C, which surrounds the steam-pipe D, as seen in the drawing in yellow. This tube is -marked t. It is fixed steam-tight at both of its ends, so that the apparatus may be drawn fro m the steam pipe or moved forward or back, as may be def sired, without interfering with the current o steam into the generator, or with the flow o gas to the burner.

I do not conflne myself to any particular method for making the joints and connections,

'nor to any particular construction of the parts of the apparatus, so that the essential features of my invention are preserved. The details may be varied, perhaps, in many ways by other mechanical devices essentially the same; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 4 l. An apparatus for generating gas by steam from gasoline, naphtha, benzine, or other hydrocarbon oils where the iiow of the steam into the generator is governed and controlled by the pressure of the gas so generated.

2. In combination with a steam gas-generating apparatus, the screen J, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In combination with a steam gas-gcner ating apparatus, the superheating-tube C and the interior supplementary tube t, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and specified.

v HIRAM S. MAXIM.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MCNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

